"It’s always the same guys who win" - Pogacar and van der Poel domination put down rivals' hopes of succeeding in Flanders?

Among the fast finishers who thrive in the northern classics, Hugo Hofstetter has quietly built a reputation as one of the most consistent performers in recent years.

The Frenchman repeatedly places himself in the decisive moments of races like Gent-Wevelgem, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and Scheldeprijs, yet a major victory continues to elude him. Speaking to IDLProCycling.com, the NSN Cycling Team rider opens up about his current condition and what he expects from the remainder of his spring campaign.

While many riders split their calendars across different terrains, Hofstetter remains heavily focused on the Belgian classics during this period of the season. The 32-year-old once again showed his reliability in 2025 with a podium at Le Samyn and an eleventh place in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, adding to last year’s fifth place in Gent-Wevelgem. Solid results that underline his level, but also highlight the fine margins that separate consistency from victory at the highest level.

Assessing his form has proven difficult in recent weeks. “Sometimes they’re on point, other times not quite as much. I hope to perform well today.” In the end, the Frenchman crossed the line in sixteenth place in the race won by Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets).

His most recent victory dates back to May 2022, when he triumphed at Tro-Bro Léon on home roads. Asked how close he feels to returning to winning ways, Hofstetter was honest: “To be honest, it’s still a long way off. Still, I always want to win. That’s never easy, though, even though I’m someone who’s always in the mix.”

Consistency, he insists, remains a key pillar of his approach. “For me, it’s also important to be consistent and to have a team that trusts me. Unfortunately, it’s always tough to win, and the level keeps getting higher and higher. It makes it all a lot harder. In so many races, it’s always the same guys who win. That doesn’t leave much room for the rest.”

As a result, his objectives for this spring are slightly adjusted. “That is to be right there in the mix. In Gent-Wevelgem, I still finished fifth. The goal is really to keep performing well and, in any case, always give it my all.”

His campaign continues this week including the Tour of Flanders, Scheldeprijs, and Paris-Roubaix, where he expects to once again face the same dominant names.